A year ago, as I turned 22, I was in a much different place. I was in an on-the-other-side-of-the-country type of different place. I’ve been thinking a lot about what my day-to-day life looked like a year ago, who I spent time with, and the things that brought me joy. Of course, social media helps to jog my memory, as well.
A year ago, I lived in a dorm in Los Angeles with fellow college kids who became friends. I was in a relationship. I reported to my second-ever internship Monday through Thursday and held a campus job on Fridays. I woke up to sunshine everyday and experienced my first earthquake. My whole state of mind felt different.
Now, within the last year, I’ve lived in my first apartment, graduated college, ended my first relationship, began and ended a new internship, started my first post-college job, and got rejected by many other jobs. I’ve grown a lot. I’ve cried a lot. I’ve (hopefully) laughed more than I’ve cried. Lastly, I’ve learned a lot in the last year. I’m constantly learning, but there are 23 things (you guessed it, in honor of my 23rd birthday) that I’ve found to be true this past year and I want to share.
Loneliness is a state of mind, not a state of being.
Animals really are therapeutic.
Money relieves stress, but does not bring happiness.
Landlords really can be that bad.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Theodore Roosevelt figured that one out first!
Sunshine really is energy in our veins and clarity in our minds.
There are few things that compassion and conversation cannot work out.
There's a thin line but a world of difference between being comfortable and settling.
What you want or need at one moment can change in an instant and that is OK.
Friendships are beautiful, malleable structures but we shouldn’t bend them too far.
Being comfortable is what we strive for but not always the grand thing we think it is.
Your time truly is the most valuable thing you have.
Feelings are just feelings, it’s what you do with them and how you conduct yourself because of them that truly matters.
Showing someone your soul and having them reject you says more about them and what they can handle than it says about you.
There are always teachable moments if you are open to them.
It's normal to feel like you're doing the complete wrong thing and living your best life all at once.
Sensitivity can truly feel like a curse, even when you know it’s not.
Food is an amazing way to bring people together.
Just because someone else’s circumstances seem undesirable to you, it does not mean that person is unhappy.
Trying to change someone’s mind, or your own, likely won’t happen in an instant.
You can be disgusted and patriotic simultaneously.
Love languages are very real.
It’s OK to love and let go.